Motorized washing machine drive unit



V 2,505,741 NAME Apnl 25, 1950 NACHUMSOHN- I I NOW BY JUDICIALVCHANGE OFA I. NAXON MOTORIZED WASHING MACHINE DRIVE UNIT Filed Feb.

z w w W Z. WildlLZZZ-S'Ofilb Patented Apr. 25, 19st 2,505,141 Moromzsowasnnm monmn naive mvrr llrving Nachumsohn, Chicago, Ill, now byjudicial change of name Irving Naxon Application February 9, HM, SerialNo. 576,978

My invention relates to washing machines, and more particularly to meansfor driving the same, and one object is to provide a motorized drivewhich may be readily removed as a, unit in case of attention, repair orreplacement. A further object is to provide a unit of the abovecharacter which is attachable directly to the base of the washingmachine, making a 'removable connection with the agitator shaft of themachine.

Another object is to provide a unit of the above character which employsa pair of spaced horizontal plates as parts of a motor.

An additional object is to design the plate structure just referred toin a manner to constltute the upper plate as a base to which means arereadily applicable to secure the unit to thebase of the washing machine.

An important object is to construct the novel unit along lines ofcompactness and simplicity.

With the'above objects in view and any others which may suggestthemselves from the description to follow, a better understanding of theinvention may be had by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which-Fig. l is a vertical section of the washing ma, chine, partly brokenaway;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view oi the main portion;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the motor, partly broken away;

Fig. 4 is a section of a connector for the plate structure; and

Fig. 5 is a detail of the connection from the drive to the agitator.

In accordance with the foregoing, specific reference to the drawingindicates the tub of the washing machine at ill, its bottom at M, thebase at it, the base apron at it, and the agitator at M.

The agitator is mounted over a, tubular central column it whose flangedbase it is secured to the bottom ill of the tub. A shaft il' rises inthe column it, terminating over a bushing Ila with a squared head ID.The latter fits a socket is in the agitator to actuate the latter whenthe shaft is in oscillatory rotation.

The driving source for the shaft I! is an electric motor suspended fromthe base I! of the washing machine. Specifically, the motor is formedwith a top plate of rectangular or other suitable shape placed nextunderneath the base l2 and perforated at opposite points for the passage0! screws 2| from such base. The screws 3 Claims. (Cl. 68-133) 2ireceive wing nuts 22 below the plate, these securing the same to thebase it.

The motor contains a second and somewhat smaller plate 23 located indownwardly spaced relation to the plate 20. The plates are fixed in thisrelation by a series of six posts, these being riveted with their upperends in the plate 20, as indicated at 24. Two of these posts, marked 25,occurat one side of the shaft ll, while the re-- maining four, marked26, are on the other side thereof. The posts 25 extend with reductions21 into the plate 23, and are tapped as indicated at 23 to receivescrews 29 from below the plate 23, with washers 3U interposed. The posts26 are arranged as a square and tapped to receive screws 3! of a set ofposts 32 forming the corners of the motor stator 33. The'posts 32 are inturn tapped to receive bolts 34 securing the stator to the said posts32. Thus, these posts primarily serve in the manner of the screws 29 tosecure the plate 23 to the posts 26. However, the posts 32 also serve assupports for the motor stator 33.

The motor shaft 35 is housed in a tube 36 depending from the plate 20and passing through the plate 23, .the connection between the tube andthese plates being rigid, such as by'a very tight press fit. The tube 36contains upper and lower sleeve bearings 31 and 38 for the motor shaft;and the upper portion of the shaft carries an end thrust collar 35awhich rides on the bearing 37! to suspend the shaft and the rotor, 39therefrom. It is noted that the latter is chambered in its upper half39a to enable the tube 35 to form a long bearing support for the shaft35 and eliminate the need of an additional support or bearin beyond thelower end of the rotor. Suitable lubricating means (not shown), such asoilsaturated felt washers above each bearing, may be provided.

Themotor shaft 35 carries a spur pinion 4|] with which an external gearI meshes, the tube 36 having an opening 36a for access by the gear ll tothe pinion. Such gear is carried by a spindle 42 which is journaledbetween the plates 20 and 23; and the spindle carries a spur pinion 43which transmits the motion of the gear M to a second gear 44. Asindicated in Fig. 2, the gear I! is formed with a crank 45 whose outerend is pivotally connected to one end of a link 46 as indicated at 41.The agitator shaft 11 descends through an extension 49 of the tube l5and terminates with a flat tip or key 5|]. The inner end of a crank 5|slidingly fits this key, while the outer end makes a pivotal connectionat 52 with the other end of the link 48. It is very convenient.

3 now evident that a reduction drive is obtained by the above gearingfor the crank 45; and the crank Si is made longer than the crank 45, inorder that the rotation of the latter may 'serve to draw back and forthon the crank through the agency '01 the link 46. Therefore, the agitatorl4 receives partial rotation in alternate directions as a result.

It will be evident from the above description that the motorized driveis applied as aunit to the base I: of the washing machine by receivingthe bolts 2| through the plate 20 and the key 50 of the agitator shaftin the inner end of the crank 5|. The unit is made fast by theapplication of the-wing nuts 22 and is easily removed, without the needof skill or tools. Further, the motor is formed by a unique assembly ofthe plates 20 and 23 and the parts supported thereby. Thus, the platesnot only fix the bearings for the rotor shaft, but also provide anindependent support for the motor stator 33. This .support is formed bythe posts 32 and the bottom bolts 34. When the latter are removed thestator alone drops while the corner posts 32 remain to maintain theplate 23 in rigid relation to the plate 20, so that the rotor and thedrive gearing are in no way affected or disturbed by the removal of thestator.

Since most washing machines employ alternating current motors havingsquirrel-cage rotors conventionally made up of bare wires or bars, inthe presence of comparatively little or no insulating material in therotor there is seldom occasion (in the event of overheating) fordeterioration of the rotor. The stators, however, do have comparativelyfiner windings than the rotors and insulation material which issusceptible to deterioration under excessive heat, moisture or otherundesirable conditions. The motor illustrated is of the shaded-pole,which carries windings solely on the stator, while the rotor is of thesquirrel-cage type requiring no fine or insulated windings. Thus,deterioration or burning-out of the insulation of the motor windingsonly affect the stator, and the easy method of removing the same makesinspection or repairs Moreover, the absence of a bearing at the lowerend of the rotor leaves the stator free to be lowered clear of the rotorwhen disconnected as described.

On the subject of bearings, it should be noted the tube 36 makespossible an improved motor construction. Thus, one of the most difliculttasks in motor assembly is to procure the exact alinement of bearingsfor the rotor shaft while maintaining a relatively accurate magnetic gapbetween the rotor and the stator. In the novel assembly the exactalinement of the-bearings is assured by disposing them in the tube 36.Moreover, by making this tube independent of the motor stator orsupporting frame, both bearings may be line-reamed in a single operationbefore inserting the tubular support in the rest of the structure. Thismakes it possible to pre-align the bearings more accurately and withgreater ease when held in an independent tube as compared to beingdisposed in a more cumbersome structure. Thus, for example, it ispossible to efiect line reaming with great precision and economy byrotating the tubes in the collet of a lathe or hand screw-machine whilethe reamer is passed through the bearings.

A motorized drive unit is thus had which is readily applicable to thewashing machine to be supported thereby and procure a drivingconnecpairmen, making it convenient and economical to secure theinspection and repair of the motorized drive whenever the impairedperformance of the washing machine is traceable to the same, While, forpurposes of illustration I have shown the base l2 as formed of asheetmetal independent of the bottom of the tub I I, it is obvious that bothplates II and I! may comprise a single wall of material. Therefore, allreference herein to a base as such, and especially in the claims,

' should be construed to mean not only either or both of these elementsor the equivalents there-,

of but also any base or equivaientsupporting member in a washing machineor other device.

While I have described the invention along specific lines, various minorchanges or refinements may be made therein without departing from itsprinciple, and I desire to consider all such changes and refinements ascoming within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A powerdrive for a washing machine having a base and aclothes-agitating unit carried by the same, such unit having onecomponent of a power coupling; comprising an inner plate removablysecured to the base, an outer plate disposed in spaced relation to theinner one, spacing posts directed from the inner plate to the outer one,a motor on the outer side of the outer plate and presenting frame poststo the latter at points opposite said spacing posts, reductions of theframe posts passing through the outer plate and threading into therelated spacing posts to secure said outer plate and the motor frame tothe spacing posts, and a gearing from the motor and having -the othercomponent of said power coupling in engagement with the first-mentionedcomponent, such other component being automatically separable from thefirst-mentioned component on the removal of said inner plate from thewashing machine base.

2. A power drive for a washing machine having a base and aclothes-agitating unit carried by the same, such unit having onecomponent of a power coupling; comprising an inner plate removablysecured to the base, an outer plate disposed in spaced relation to theinner one, spacing posts directed from the inner plate to the outer one,a motor on the outer side of the outer plate and presenting a drivingelement inwardly of the outer plate, outer spacing means and a centertube between the plates, a bearing fbr said driving element in thecenter tube, and a gearing from said driving element and having theother component of said power coupling in engagement with thefirst-mentioned component, such other component being automaticallyseparable from the first-mentioned component on the removal of saidinner plate from the washing machine base.

3. A power drive for a washing machine having a base and aclothes-agitating unit carried by the same, such unit having onecomponent of a power coupling; comprising an inner plate removablysecured to the base, an outer plate secured in spaced relation to theinner one, a motor remov- 5 ably secured to the outer side of the outerplate and directing a drive shaft through a medial opening in the outerplate into the space between the plates. a tube directed from the innerplate through the outer one and surrounding the drive shaft,longitudinally-spaced bearings in the tube for the drive shaft, and agearing from the drive shaft and having the other component 01 saidpower coupling in engagement with the firstmentioned component, suchother component be ing outwardly separable from the first-mentionedcomponent on the removal or said inner plate from the washing machinebase.

mvmo NACHUMSOHN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the me ofthis patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS- Name Date Graemiger July 17, 1917 WarrenMay 22, 1923 Marx Sept. 18, 1923 Apple Aug. 30, 1932 Miluiasek July 18,1933 Brotz July 18, 1933 Book Feb. 5, 1935 Hume Nov. 19, 1935 SpanelOct. 18, 1938 Kessel Oct, 25, 1938 Brinda Oct. 17, 1939 Kellermann Mar.5, 1940 Dyer Apr. 11, 1944 Haydon July 11, 1944

